2016 B. C. The call of Abraham is placed by Eusebius upon this day, A.
M. 1921. The Cæsarian era used by the Syrians, commenced from the same
Julian day, first of their month Tisri, B. C. 48.
325. CONSTANTINE ordered that those criminals hitherto employed by a
barbarous custom in the gladiator shows, should be sent to the mines.
829. MICHAEL II (_the Stammerer_), emperor of the East, died. He was of
obscure origin, and dragged from prison to the throne on the death of
Leo. He compelled the Christians to observe the sabbath and other holy
days of the Jewish law.
1240. Dedication of the cathedral church of St. Paul's, at London.
1500. JOHN ALCOCK, a distinguished English prelate, died. His great
learning recommended him to preferment, and he was appointed president
of Wales and chancellor of England. He founded Jesus college.
1621. By an act of the British parliament, no tobacco was to be imported
after this date but from Virginia and the Somer isles, and none to be
planted in England. The merchant was to receive no more than eight, and
the retailer ten shillings the pound, but they who sold by the pipe
might make the most they could!
1664. Articles of capitulation were agreed to between the English under
sir Robert Carr, and the Dutch and Swedes, on Delaware bay and river;
which completed the subjection of New Netherland to the British crown.
1670. JAQUES DE PAULMIER, an eminent French physician, died. Besides
some prose works he wrote poems in several European languages.
1684. Review of the marines at Putney heath, which were first
established in England this year.
1684. PETER CORNEILLE, the great French poet, died. His dramas were
eminently successful, and his poems are among the sublimest effusions of
the French muse.
1728. Mr. PHILIPSE, speaker of the New York assembly, held a treaty
with the Six Nations at Albany, and renewed the ancient covenant. He
gave them great presents, and engaged them in the defence of Oswego.
1746. Battle of Roucoux, between the allies, who were defeated with the
loss of 5,000 men and prince Tingray killed, and the French, whose loss
was nearly equal.
1748. Action between the British fleet, admiral Knowles, 7 ships, and
the Spanish fleet, under Spinola, 6 ships and a frigate. The latter were
defeated with the loss of two ships.
1756. Battle of Lowositz, between the king of Prussia and the Austrians
under Braun. Each army sustained a loss of about 2,500.
1761. Schweidnitz, a strong fortress in Silesia taken from the Prussians
by a skillful coup-de-main of the Austrians under Laudohn. The governor
and about 3,000 men were made prisoners.
1768. British troops landed at Boston from Halifax, and one regiment was
quartered at Faneuil hall. (Sept. 30. ?)
1777. ALEXANDER SUMOROKOF, founder of the Russian theatre, died at
Moscow. He wrote a number of plays and historical works.
1778. WILLIAM BUTLER made a successful expedition against the Indian
towns, and returned to Schoharie on the 16th.
1795. ROBERT BAKEWELL, an eminent English agriculturist and cattle
breeder, died. His improvements in the breeds of domestic animals were
unprecedented; a single ram selling for nearly $4,000.
1796. JAMES FORDYCE died; a popular and eloquent Scottish preacher, who
left behind him several excellent moral and religious works.
1799. JOHN WILLIAM BRUGUIERES, an eminent French botanist and
mineralogist, died.
1800. Treaty of St. Ildefonso, by which Spain ceded Louisiana to France.
1802. Ratification of a treaty between Bonaparte and the bey of Tripoli,
effected by Col. Sebastiana, who the same day concluded a treaty between
the Swedes and the bey, by which the Swedes engaged to pay 150,000
piasters for the captives, and an annuity of 8,000 more.
1807. The first steam boat sailed from New York to Albany. It was 130
feet in length, called the Clermont, and made 5 miles an hour.
1831. BLACKHOOF, a chief of the Shawnee tribe of Indians, died at
Wapaghkonnetto, aged 114. He was at the defeats of Braddock, St. Clair,
Harmer and Crawford, and probably the last survivor of the former
disaster.
1838. The law abolishing imprisonment for debt in England went into
operation.
1841. The Chinese island of Chusan recaptured by the British forces
under sir H. Gough, with the loss of only 2 killed and 24 wounded.
1842. The war in Afghanistan closed by the capture of Ghuznee and Cabul,
and the withdrawal of the British troops.
1847. A telescopic comet was discovered by a lady of Nantucket, Mass.,
in the constellation Cepheus.
1847. A violent tornado unroofed the steam factory in Portsmouth, N. H.;
weight not less than 70,000 pounds. It separated into 3 sections, one
falling within 100 feet, another 200, the rafters coming down endways
and sinking 4 feet in the earth; the largest section weighing 30,000
pounds, was carried 300 feet.
1848. JAMES BIDDLE, United States commodore, died at Philadelphia, aged
65.
1849. Hudson river rail road opened to Peekskill.
1850. Whitehall and Rutland rail road opened.
1853. The Turkish divan resolved on the most vigorous measures against
Russia, and the sultan signed the declaration of war, and permitted the
allied fleets to pass the Dardanelles.
1854. The shores around the harbor of Vera Cruz strewn with an immense
number of dead fish, supposed to have been killed by the gas evolved in
some submarine volcanic eruption.
1854. The steamer Yankee Blade from San Francisco to Panama, struck a
reef of rocks, and was wrecked. Although there were 800 passengers on
board, all but 15 were saved; $153,000 of specie was lost.